Understanding the metal mediated assembly and hydrogel formation of a β-hairpin peptide

Abstract

We report the design and characterization of a peptide that assembles as β-hairpins and forms hydrogels under physiological conditions. These hydrogels formed both in the absence and presence of several metal ions and displayed characteristic sheer-thinning properties. In particular, in the presence of Zn²⁺, we observed a novel hydrogel that proceeded via an intermolecular metal-coordination mechanism – intermolecular assembly that was previously reported instead to promote amyloid type aggregates.